Why Being "Technically Right" is Actually Kind of "Stupid"

So, I was just chilling with my buddy Adi the other day, walking down the street, when he suddenly goes full meltdown mode (exaggerated for dramatical effect).

So, his neighborhood has this informal community garbage pickup. It’s not official, just a thing everyone chips in for to keep the place clean. But Adi being the "logical" guy, figured out a way to dump his own trash for free elsewhere.

So he told his neighbors,

"Yeah, I'm out. Not paying."

He is absolutely convinced he's in the right. He kept rambling shit at me:

"It's basic logic, man! No service = No pay. Simple!"

But here's the problem: now he's "Public Enemy Number One" in his neighborhood. He's the "selfish guy." The outcast. And despite claiming he doesn't care... he clearly cares a lot.

I looked at him and said,

"Bro, if you don't care what they think, why are you malding over this?"

He hit me with the classic defense:

"I don't care what they think! I'm mad about the principle! It's not fair! I'm telling you because I wanna know what you think!"

Real talk: If you have to SCREAMM about how much you don't care, you definitely care.

I had to be real with him.

"Look, you treated a people similar to a math problem. You won the math, but you're failing the vibe check (you feel me?). And thats what's actually bugging you."

He probably thinks he can ran way of social norms because they aren't "logical",But you can't just delete the social part of being human.

There's this quote by William James that lives rent-free in my head:

"The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated."

He thought he could switch that craving off while his scream says otherwise. That’s just the craving wearing a mask. He’s technically "right", but he’s also alienated and miserable.

Conclusion​

So, what's the lesson here?

1. Don't lie to yourself. Pretending you don't care what anyone thinks is lying to yourself. If you truly didn't care, you wouldn't be ranting about it.
2. Filter the noise. You don't have to be a people-pleaser (that's lame yk), but you have to decide whose opinion matters. You can't just block everyone.
3. Pick your battles.

Honestly? Sometimes just paying the stupid garbage fee is cheaper than the mental cost of being "right."

anw, don't be like him. go touch grass and pay your dues. ✌️